Blog

May 11, 2017

Exchange Students Interviewed in School Paper

A big thank you to The Talon Online for writing such an excellent article on the three German students Nation Ford High School hosted this past April. I won’t try and tell you what the students thought of their time here; I’d rather let them speak for themselves.

Leonie said, “My first day had me hooked. It was the first time that I didn’t want to go home; I could stay here forever.” Anna added, “You also have your own personal pocket of foreign friends that no one at home would ever know… Makes you feel pretty amazing.” Finally, Paul recommends, “Be open to the culture. It will be different so don’t come expecting it to be just the same as home.”

May 9, 2017

Serve Your Community Program Featured

We are now into our second month of the Serve Your Community program that partners with AFS Germany to bring students to America where they practice their English in both the classroom and with host families, and they give back to the community that is hosting them by volunteering at a number of organizations in the Portland area. One such organization is The ReBuilding Center, and they have feature our students, their intern team, on their website. Go ahead and take a look!

February 9, 2017

Chinese students greeted with snow!

Chinese students arrived right after a winter storm hit Portland, dropping record snowfall on the area. While the students did end up spending a few snow days at home with their host families, they were also able to attend school at Pilgrim Lutheran to practice their spoken English and learn about America and our school system.

January 26, 2017

Remembering Summer Adventures

Bonjour! This summer four groups of French students made temporary homes across America. Students lived with American families in Arizona, Colorado Springs, Portland, OR, and Rochester, NY. They arrived in early July and have the chance to celebrate both the 4th of July and Bastille Day with their new families! A perfect example of how exchange students and host families share their culture in both directions.

August 14, 2015

Farewell in Spokane

This summer’s adventures of 3 Week Programs have finally come to an end. Some of our programs had so many exciting moments that compiling it into video was the best way to showcase and remember them. Here’s a video from our 3 Week Program in Spokane, Washington. Enjoy!

July 29, 2015

New Experiences, New Memories

As we say our goodbyes to our summer programs, we have collected new photos to remember these awesome cultural experiences. Please keep an eye on our galleries to see how much fun our host families and exchange students had this summer! Here is a teaser just to keep you on your toes.

July 10, 2015

Chinese 10 Day Program

It has begun! Our group of Chinese elementary students arrived in Charlotte, North Carolina this Tuesday and is now staying with host families around the area. Other 10 Day programs this year are also taking place in Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Idaho. Soon after our 10 Day programs are over, our 3 Week Programs will take place in various parts of the country. To learn more about our 10 Day Program, please proceed to the program’s page.

June 29, 2015

Summer Homestay

Our Summer Homestay programs have started! Last Sunday, we welcomed French students at Phoenix to stay with host families for four weeks. During this time, students will get to immerse themselves in American culture by participating in all summer host family activities and interacting with American students. This year, other participating locations for the French program included Seattle and Colorado Springs. Our Spanish students are also currently participating in the Homestay program in Southwest Washington and North Carolina. To learn more about this unique program, please proceed to our Summer Homestay page.

April 30, 2015

Fall 2015 German Immersion

We’re doing it again! We will be welcoming back German students to come in October 2015 to immerse in high schools while staying with host families. Like the most recent German Inbound program, students will also have a chance to explore tourist attractions in host and neighboring cities. Various areas will be participating in the program, and more details will be coming soon. You can learn more about this program here, or simply browse through its moments in the gallery.

April 29, 2015

German Outbound Adventure

Our students have arrived in Bochum! In addition to attending school, our students had the chance to attend their 125th anniversary program, celebrating 125 years of education at Lessing School. They also went on field trips around the city and visited tourist attractions of Bochum. In the picture, the students are at the German Mining Museum.

April 27, 2015

German Outbound Departure

Last Saturday, our group of students from Turner, Oregon and southwest Washington left for their adventure to Bochum, Germany. There, they will immerse in Lessing School for 2 weeks and visit key tourist locations around the host and neighboring cities while staying with host families. We wish them good luck and have lots of fun learning a new culture.

April 15, 2015

Auf Wiedersehen!

Today, we said our goodbyes to our last German exchange group who participated in an immersion at Cascade Senior High School in Turner, Oregon. We hope that they have a safe trip back to Germany and take lifelong memories with them.

April 1, 2015

German Immersion

Our German students have arrived! They will be here for two-and-a-half weeks to immerse themselves in high schools around southwest Washington and Oregon. Today, they have explored the NIKE Factory Store, Multnomah Falls, and local eateries such as Burgerville and Voodoo Donuts. We hope that our students enjoy the rest of their adventure in the US with their host families and gain a true experience of American culture.

March 25, 2015

Summer is (Almost) Here!

Would you like to expose your family to other cultures? Are you interested in making international friends? We are currently looking for generous families who will open their homes and welcome our international students for a duration of 4 weeks or less! Our students will be here on different dates depending on the type of program (The first program will start around the beginning of July.), and certain locations in the U.S. will participate in a program this summer. Check out our various programs in the “Programs” tab and contact us if you have any questions or would like to host!

March 17, 2015

Northwest Academy in Spain

Last weekend, our students from Northwest Academy embarked on an adventure to Gandia, Spain for several weeks while staying with a Spanish host family. They will get a taste of the Las Fallas festival, explore Valencia and Gandia, and immerse themselves in Real Colegio Escola Pia. We wish that everything goes well with our students and that they return with an expanded cultural experience of Spain.

February 9, 2015

Orenco Elementary School’s “Orca Live” TV News Broadcast

Our students from Chengdu, China, have arrived in Hillsboro, Oregon, to immerse themselves in Orenco Elementary School for two weeks. In this video, they appear as guests of the school’s student-run TV News Broadcast, Orca Live, to teach fellow classmates about Chinese New Year. Enjoy and 新年快乐！